Panther found dead in SW Florida

LABELLE, Fla. (AP) - Officials say a Florida panther has been found dead from an apparent vehicle strike in southwest Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that the 2-year-old female cat's body was found Saturday on a rural road in Hendry County. The remains will be taken to a Gainesville facility for a necropsy.

A total of six Florida panthers have been found dead in 2017, with four road fatalities.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 230 remain in the wild.